Will Pipes Freeze in Latah County, ID? 29 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Latah County
In a normal year Latah County, ID gets 29 nights at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 45% of US counties.
Risk level: Regular. The risk season runs October to March, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 143 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 29 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 8 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 3 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 29 nights of risk to 8 nights. A 12 ft heat-tape kit runs $17 to $37; an average burst-pipe repair is about $500.
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 09/21, last around 05/15. For 20°F: 11/04 to 03/07.
How cold Latah County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 25°F; the coldest month, December, averages 24°F overnight. 9 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, November, December: 8 nights a year, and 3 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25°F | 26°F | 30°F | 34°F | 40°F | 44°F | 48°F | 47°F | 42°F | 34°F | 29°F | 24°F |
Latah County next to its neighbours
Benewah County, ID, 45 km north, gets 32 nights below 20°F to Latah County's 29 nights. Nez Perce County, ID, 54 km south, gets 20 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latah County, ID | - | 143 nights | 29 nights | 25°F |
| Benewah County, ID | 45 km north | 151 nights | 32 nights | 24°F |
| Nez Perce County, ID | 54 km south | 109 nights | 20 nights | 27°F |
| Whitman County, WA | 62 km west | 128 nights | 26 nights | 27°F |
| Lewis County, ID | 69 km south | 159 nights | 40 nights | 23°F |
| Garfield County, WA | 75 km southwest | 125 nights | 25 nights | 27°F |
| Asotin County, WA | 80 km southwest | 179 nights | 52 nights | 20°F |
Latah County within ID
Latah County ranks 40 of 44 ID counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Custer County, ID at 145 nights, with a 5°F average winter low. The fewest is Nez Perce County, ID: 20 nights, winter lows near 27°F. At 2,914 ft, Latah County sits 1,733 ft below the state's median county elevation of 4,646 ft.
What to do here
- Insulate every pipe in unheated space before the season starts.
- Heat tape on the runs you cannot insulate well.
- Shut off and drain outdoor spigots for the season.
Why 20°F is the line for a garage pipe: how cold before pipes freeze.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Potlatch (3 mi NNE), ID, 18 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. What a "fair" or "distant" station match means is in the method guide.